Montco Amateur Championship: Custer pursuing fourth straight title

Fourth of a four-part series on the 12th Montgomery County Amateur Championship — profiling the event, the players and the people behind the event.

Some genius once said, “Records are made to be broken.”

In sports the stalking of records is a daily occurrence. There are those that figure never to be broken — Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak — and there are other seemingly insurmountable ones that are under pressure currently — Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 Major Championship victories.

Advertisement

As the Montgomery County Amateur Championship enters its 12th year as the premier golf competition in the county, one particular record of excellence could fall.

No player, on any level, has ever won more than three championships. Victoria Arena won three Girls’ Junior Championships in a row, 2004-2006. She went on to play collegiate golf at Penn State and has not competed in the County Am in six years.

James Braunsberg won three Boys’ Junior Championships, over a span of four years. His titles in 2006, 2007 and 2009 sparked him to a career at Drexel University. He is entered in the Championship Division this year.

But it is in the Senior Division where the spotlight will shine … in terms of an attempt to set a new record. Rick Custer, who lives in Royersford, has won the last three Senior Championships. In that span he has recorded close victories over some of the finest senior golfers in the county — Scott Carney of Commonwealth National, Buck Jones of Linfield National, Jim Pickens of Plymouth, Jim Prendergast of Brookside and Jeff Paige of Bellewood.

In order to post a fourth straight title — and become the first person ever to win four Montco Am titles of any kind — he will have to face another strong field.

“There are a lot of good players,” said Custer, who maintained his handicap at Five Ponds GC this year but plays at courses all over the region. “In my mind, Buck Jones is the best senior golfer in the county … and maybe in the area.”

Custer, who has a janitorial supply sales business that allows him to set his own schedule and play a lot of golf, is totally immersed in the sport. In his spare time he works for the Philadelphia Section PGA, as a rules official and a supervising position with the Junior Tour. He also plays regularly in the Bunker Club, a traveling group mostly made up of senior and retired golf professionals who play tournaments every week.

Although Custer began playing competitively in Golf Association of Philadelphia events around age 35, it was not until he reached senior status that he started collecting tournament victories. He has been the model of consistency throughout his County Am play.

“Consistency is the key to winning a two-day stroke play event like this,” said Custer. “Keeping the ball in play is the most important thing.”

Custer, who will turn 60 in September, is not above providing a bit of an insight into his tournament strategy.

“The first day you are just playing the golf course,” he stressed. “After that, you can see where you stand. The second day almost turns into match play, especially when you get to the back nine. You see what your closest competitors are doing and react to that.”

Custer’s closest competitors will be trying to unseat him from the Senior Championship throne he has held for the last three years. Judging by his steady play the last three years, it will be a difficult task.

Entry forms for all divisions of the Montgomery County Amateur Championship can be found at any pro shop of the 50 golf courses located in the county. Also, a form can be downloaded by going to www.montcoamateur.com. Questions can be answered by calling the tournament office at 610-279-9220.